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Working Abroad in the Caribbean
Name and town
Felicity - now living in London.
Have you been to college or uni
Yes I went to Middlesex Uni - London college of Dance. Where I did a degree in dance.
Age ; 21, which is a good age as I was mainly working in the states and you have to be 21 to go out and have a good time.
What job were you doing; Dancer working on a Caribbean cruise ship.
Did you need qualifications to do that job?
Not necessarily qualifications but you do have to have trained for years and have a huge variety of styles under your wing.
How did you find the job (website/agency/etc)?
I found the audition in The Stage (a jobs newspaper for performers / Dancers / singers)
Which country or resort did you work in?
It was an American company so my homeport was always somewhere is the US, (when I say home port, it is where the new/old passengers get on and off the ships) but depending on which one of the 22 ships you were on, you went all over the world.
How long was the season?
Well it was different for me as being a dancer the whole cast comes and leaves together; there is normally a cast of 15 people, 5 boys, 2 singers and 8 girls. Each contract would last anything from 6/9 months. But every job on board was different.
Was your accommodation and food included?
Yes, all the dancers lived together in the same hallway. You did have to share with another dancer but you chose who. The rooms are not huge but you have your own bathroom and a TV, bunk beds, sometime there are rooms with double beds in, they are liveable, and our rooms are much bigger than other departments on board the ship. A cabin steward cleaned the cabins e.g. made your bed, took the rubbish out, cleaned your bath room, etc you paid them a dollar a day. The food is ok, there is not that much to choose from, if you are a fussy eater like me you will struggle. But you have a fridge in your cabin. So you buy food from the islands you go to and make stuff. You can also eat up on lido, where the passengers eat, so you do have different options, but the rules are strict, passengers go 1st and some ships have a supper club with fine dining but you do have to pay 30 dollars but it is worth every Dollar!!!!
Was the salary any good?
Well this is a touchy subject, yes the pay is good in dollars but because I am from England the exchange rate is not, so I would lose half my money, which is very depressing, but in the cast you have dancers from all over the world, e.g. Russia, Australia, America, Canada, South Africa, Eastern Europe, so depending on what country you were from you could double or even makes 5-10 times your money on the exchange. I do have to say though you can save really well as you don’t have to really spend much, all your food, health care, toilet roll, etc is there for you. You only spend your money on going out in the islands buying clothes, having fun!!!
What were the highlights of the experience?
Seeing places that are stunning and I know I would never be able to afford to go to. Such a great experience. I met some wonderful people who I have kept in touch with and I know now if I want to go anywhere in the world near enough I have a friend who can show me around, You learn a lot and grow as a person as well as getting to know other cultures. It makes you independent and because you are in a close environment with other people all the time you do have to change as a person and learn to cope with anything, I have got so many fun and amazing memories it is a part of my life that will be with me forever.
Were there any negatives?
If you are not a peoples person it is not for you, and if you do not like small spaces you will find it hard. There are a lot of rules as well, which again you will find frustrating.
Did you get sea sick?
When I 1st started working on ships yes, but they are so big that you tend to find that you don’t even realise you are moving. When you did go through a storm it could get rocky but you are really safe and it can be exciting!!!!
Can you water-ski off the back of that cruise ship?
Well no but that would be fun, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines have a surfing wave at the back of the ship which is cool and you can ice skate, rock climb, practise golf, on board as well.
Did you make new friends?
I have so many friends from the ships. It is like a big family. Every time I went back I new the people and it was so fun, all the different department talking and going out with each other, you will not find any other job like it.
Would you do it again or recommend it to others?
YES!!!! Everyone should try it, it might not be for you, but it will definitely be an experience. I loved it, but I was also doing a job, which I loved and really could not call work, some other departments do not get as much freedom and life is harder for them. You have the sun and beaches you will not find at home here in England.
What kind of jobs would be available?
So many-
Spa/Fitness.
Entertainment-dancers social host/
crew director/light and sound
Officers- they run the ship.
AV- computers
Nursing/doctors.
Waiters/housing staff, looking after
all the passengers
Gift shop/sales
Tours
Bursars/information.
DJ
What websites should people use?
Most cruise lines have a web site and an option for applying and the Stage magazine if you are a performer.
What was the best place you visited?
Aruba- STUNNING. One place where I would love to live, it has everything, always hot, the beaches are out of this world as is the sea. The people are kind and all speak English, as it is a Dutch island, the food is so yummy, I don’t have a bad word to say about it, and coming in 2nd is Barbados as it is a party island you always have a laugh, and again the beaches and sun sets were beautiful.
Do you have any advice for other people?
All I can say is you work hard but you play hard too, working on cruise ships is an experience you will never find anywhere else, its like the rest of the world stops and there is just you and the sea and the people around you, it can be strange but you can fall in love with it very easily.
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